Tragedy
by HanaImakura
Summary: Light Yaoi. Edward misses having someone to love, and is bored with his everyday life stuck up in the mansion. He is one day led back in time, into London, and the year 1844. Sweeney is looking for an apprentice, since Tobias has taken to apprenticeship in the pie shop. SweenEdward. Johnny Depp x Johnny Depp.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

Edward's Heart is Held Captive

A pale young man covered in skin-tight black leather, appearing almost as if he were a ghost, Edward slowly and cautiously descended the darkened, winding stair case ahead of him. His hands, long, slender blades for fingers, clicking together despondently. He could still recall the softness of a voice, the gentleness of a certain touch, and a sweet little smile, memories that left both a bitter and a sweet taste in his mouth. Words had been spoken by that voice, through that smile. Words that had echoed through every night that he had spent alone in this castle. "I love you". He could think of many stories his father had read to him in which a princess was locked away in a castle, hoping to someday meet her true love. He had once thought that maybe this girl was just that. That maybe he was the princess. But it was not to be, and shaking his head sullenly, he began to realize that he was still that princess, only, still locked away in his cold tower.

He took his last careful steps to the bottom of the stair case and gazed up at the towering double doors that led out to his garden on top of the hill, overlooking her house. Should he go into the sunlight again? Should he revisit days gone by? He was nervous, and all together unsure of what he would feel if he stepped out again. So he turned his back to the doors and scanned the laboratory for something better to do.

Click, click, click, click.

His blades quickened their pace, snipping a little more excitedly together in anticipation for something, but he knew not what. He searched, without touching anything, through the book shelves at the back wall, beside the "bakery". "Manners and Etiquette", "Silly Rhymes and Songs", "Heartfelt Cookie Recipes", "Imaginative Psychology", "Monstrosities and Oddities", "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein", and... Something else. At the end of the shelf, there sat a huge novel, covered in dust and cobwebs, with the writing on the binding so chipped away that it was difficult for Edward to read it.

It said something about entering a realm of endless possibilities. Edward had never before noticed this book, and out of curiosity, attempted to pull it free by placing one of his longest fingers between the book and the shelf, a slightly shorter finger on its broad side against the inside of the spine, and gently coaxed it out until it dropped with a loud thud to the dust-covered floor. But now there were other noises all around in the air, noises that began to startle him. Loud clanks, clicks and whirs pervaded the air and rang mercilessly in his ears. He jumped a little and turned to see from where these noises were coming.

A gigantic cabinet a few feet away from the book shelf appeared to be the source of the cacophony. It rose a few centimeters from the floor and as if by magic, it moved off to the side, revealing a darkened entrance to somewhere Edward did not know. When the mechanism ceased all noise, Edward could faintly hear distant, haunting melodies through the mysterious entrance, luring him inside.

Edward tentatively made his way into the secret passage, and was startled once again by the sound of the entrance closing behind him.

Snip, snip, snip, snip, snip, snip...

His fingers were going amazingly fast now, fearful he would be stuck here forever. He frantically ran his hands along the darkened walls around him, feeling around for any possible means of re-opening the door. "Please..." He thought, afraid of never seeing home again. Finally, he struck upon something. One of his blades had gotten caught in a little key-hole somewhere, and he tried jiggling his finger out, causing the entrance to open again. But Edward did not yet want to go back; he instead resolved to explore his curiosity for this new adventure, and pressed onward through the darkened way.

It was not very long before Edward could see a dismal looking light at the end of his path, and a strong smell of something awful burning hit his nostrils full force. As soon as he made his way into the light, he overheard a pair of gentlemen conversing in genuine English accents.

"Well! Would ye look it that!", said one wearing a rather dandy appearance. As the other, slightly shorter man turned to look behind him, his eyes widened, and with a sinister sneer on his face exclaimed, "I'll be damned! The man 'as scissors for 'ands!". The taller one snickered, extended a hand to the shorter man, and said, "Told ye some'in odd'd come outta that there 'idey-'ole! Now, pay up, sah.". Apparently, the alley that Edward had just come from was rumored to produce odd creatures, and these men were here for an awful reason. Edward was frightened by these men, and extremely confused. Instead of uttering a word, Edward only whimpered a little and tried to shuffle away from them. "Oh, no ye don't! Ye'r comin' with me!" the sneer left the lips of the shorter man as he made a dash to apprehend Edward before he could get away.

Edward nearly tripped, scissors flailing everywhere, and the smaller man threw his arms around Edward from behind, restraining him from using his hands to get free. "Ye'r still gonna have ta pay me, Sanders!" boomed the voice of the taller man from behind them. "Ah know, so shut ye'r mouth, Barnum!" the shorter man called back as he dragged Edward back to his companion. "Please... Let me go..." Edward quietly pleaded, trying to pull away.

The men ignored his pleas and the shorter man only held on tighter, but he moved aside so that the taller man could tie a rope around Edward's wrists. It hurt, because the rope dug into the leather, and Edward was built so that the leather really was his skin. The men laughed together and as they tossed Edward into the back of a brightly painted caravan, they joked something about not being able to 'wank off' with weapons for hands. Before Edward could speak up again, they threw the doors shut, locked him away in the dark, and took off. Edward whimpered a bit, and wiggled up against a wall. Where were they taking him? Why? The fear was too much. A single tear slowly pooled in one of his sunken eyes and then rolled its way down one of his pale cheeks, and it was soon followed by several others. Edward was trying his best not to cry, but with his hands tied up, he felt there was nothing else he could do.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Freak Show

Nellie was busying herself inside her pie shop at the counter, scrubbing the surface off with a wet rag. "Toby, come 'ere, love. Ah 'ave someth'n ta ask of ye." she spoke as she paused and looked at the hallway to the parlor where she could hear Tobias rummaging through the gin cabinet. Tobias peeked around the corner at her with such a guilty looking face that she almost laughed. "Yes, marm? What is it?" he asked, trying to sound cheery and cover up the sound of the shutting cabinet door. "Ah need ye ta come with me ta the market place, love. Ah was thinkin' a getting some lit'le things… Things like a vase a' daisies for this ol' kitchen, or maybe somethin' lovely ta go inta makin' some other kinds a' pies…" she smiled a small smile, still trying to hold back her laughter, and came out from behind the counter to place a hand on Tobias' shoulder.

"I s'pose ah should go let Mr. Todd know we're leaving for a bit, then." Tobias volunteered himself to go up to the barber shop. He never liked it when his new mom would go up there, because it seemed to him that Mr. Todd always made her depressed. Nellie gave him a reassuring pat on the back, saying, "Right. Tha's a good boy. Run along now, an' we'll be out in a tick!". Tobias started up the stairs cheerily enough, until he was sure he was out of Nellie's sight. Then, he just began to saunter up the last few steps.

Nellie took a seat at a corner table inside the shop, just to the right of the front entrance. On the table, there sat a half-empty bottle of gin and a small cup. _Ah s'pose the boy decided 'e was goin' ta refill this bot'le wit' another one. Sneaky li'le thing._ she mused as she waited for Tobias to return. Meanwhile, Tobias was reluctantly opening the door to Sweeney's shop. "Mr. Todd? Mrs. Lovett sent me up 'ere ta tell you we was gonna go ta the market for a bit…" he kept his gaze on his feet, unwilling to look up into the eyes of the killer. His information, however, was only met with dead silence, which caused him to ask, "Mr. Todd?" as he looked up again. The room was empty. "Strange," thought Tobias, "Usually, one a' us always notices when 'e leaves 'is shop…". Not wanting to risk the possibility that there could be a surprise attack waiting for him, Tobias quickly closed the door and stepped briskly down the steps again.

Nellie stood up with a cheerful smile on her face when she saw Tobias making his way back into the pie shop from the side entrance. "Ready ta 'ead out ta the market, love?" she asked with a certain bounciness in her voice as she placed a hand on Tobias' shoulder and drew him next to her. He looked up at her with a worried glance, and responded, "Yes, marm… Only…", his gaze faltered as he spoke, "Ah'm a lit'le bi' worried.". A look of mock surprise formed on Nellie's face. "Worried? Ah, love," she drew him in for a quick, motherly hug, "Ain't nothin' ta be worried about. Mr. T will always protect us, see?". Tobias, having no idea how he could possibly prove to her that he was right, only hugged her back in response and then pushed away. Something was wrong, he was sure of it.

At about the same time that Mrs. Lovett and Tobias were leaving the pie shop together, Mr. Todd was already nearly at the market place. He had grown anxious with always being pent up in that barber shop, waiting, just waiting for the day that he would have his revenge. He was desperate to find another customer or two before the week was out. "Apples! Juicy, red apples! Fresh Picked! Apples! Apples!" an elderly salesman with a whitened beard called out, holding up a delicious looking, bright red apple. Mr. Todd was by now running a hand through the white streak in his wild, black hair, just to keep it from reaching for the razor concealed under his jacket and causing a scene. But he stopped when he heard the man advertising the apples.

He quickly turned his shadowy gaze towards the man and made his approach, asking, "Juicy, red… Apples, you say, sir? How much?" in his low, sort of rumbling voice. The elderly man shrank back a bit, almost cowering, and replied, "O-Only a sixpence f-for a 'ole crate full, sah!", pointing with one finger to the crates stacked behind him. Sweeney had remembered that Mrs. Lovett had lately been talking about adding apple pies as a desert to her shop menu, and he saw this as a golden opportunity. "Done." he nearly barked in the man's frightened face. He padded himself over, pretending to search for a wallet from which to retrieve the money to pay the man. "Oh… Seems I've forgotten my wallet." said Sweeney, trying to suppress an awfully sinister smirk, "May I instead offer you a free shave, sir?". Sweeney's malicious intent seemed to make the air around him grow thicker, and the old apple seller seemed to notice it right away. "N-No, s-sah. Ye can jes' keep th' apples, o-on the 'ouse!" he trembled a bit as he handed a crate to Sweeney.

"Thank you, sir." Sweeney's smirk dissipated as he reluctantly took the crate from the shivering hands of the old man and turned to make his way back out into the market. "Oh, there ya are, love! We was wonderin' where ye went off to!" exclaimed Nellie with surprise when she happened to come across Mr. Todd. She immediately resumed her usual spot at his side and beckoned to Tobias, who was peering with amusement into a toy shop window, to rejoin them. "I was… Looking for customers." Todd sullenly responded, obviously not overjoyed with the fact that Mrs. Lovett had found him. "Right, like ye wa'n't lookin' at things for th' shop, too! Ah see that crate ye've got in ye'r arms, love. Lets see it, then!" she bubbled, looking up at Mr. Todd with her best I-Know-You-Like-Me stare.

Tobias, noticing that they had found Mr. Todd, was hesitant about rejoining Mrs. Lovett. He could see that, as Nellie prattled on about this and that, Mr. Todd was glaring at him through the crowd. But then, a loud, booming voice interrupted Tobias' fixation on Todd. A rather large crowd was gathering around a tall, dandy-looking blonde-haired man, who was waving around a cane and shouting, "Come one, come all! Dare ta explore ye'r dreams an' nightmares in ways ye 'ave never imagined! Today only at Sander's an' Barnum's Fabulous Freak Show!". Forgetting Mr. Todd's intense gaze, Tobias rushed up to Mrs. Lovett, took her by the hand, and began leading her into the crowd, exclaiming, "Look, marm! I's a side-show! I's a side-show!". "Now, love, we've found Mr. T, an' we got all a' our shoppin' done, so ah think it best we all go 'ome, now." Mrs. Lovett informed him gently, trying to coax him back to Mr. Todd, who was stalking just behind them.

"Let the boy 'ave 'is fun," Todd told her over her shoulder, "I must admit that I, myself am morbidly… curious.". Todd's left hand was now plunged under his jacket, running his thumb over the smooth covering of one of his razors. Tobias felt that he was himself in danger, but he hoped that this show would prove enough of a distraction for everyone, so that he could make an escape, preferably with his new mother. As the odd-looking little family made their way to the front of the crowd, the announcer of the show began to step aside, proudly exclaiming, "And now, without further ado, I give you your gracious host, Mr. Sanders!". Barnum jauntily made his way off of the stage with an oddly cruel smile on his lips, and Mr. Sanders, a short, stout, rather repulsive looking man in a bright red ringmaster outfit, took the center stage.

"Thank you! Thank you so much for that stirring introduction, Mr. Barnum!" a horrible, sickly looking grin twisted across his lips as he bowed to the crowd first and then to Mr. Barnum. Tobias shuddered; something about carnies who owned freak shows reminded him of the man who had adopted him from the child labor force. Mr. Sanders straightened himself out, looked out, and addressed the crowd, "Ah expect ye've all come ta witness ye'r wildest nightmares! 'Ere, ah'm sure we've all 'eard a' th' legends a' th' mermaids, or at leas' 'eard a' bein's 'alf wolf, 'alf man!". As he spoke, he made a whale-like tail with his hands and made a swimming motion, and then, at the mention of the werewolves, he twirled on one foot, hid half of his face with his cape, and then threw it to the side, making his hands like claws and a menacing face as he uttered an eerie howl.

"But," Sanders interrupted himself, " 'ave ye ever 'eard… Of this?!". He leapt out of the way, pulling back a curtain as he went, to reveal a figure concealed in shadow. The entire crowd went silent, and all anyone could hear was

Snip, snip, snip, snip, snip, snip, snip

The figure had long, slender fingers, and seemed to be refusing to come out into the light. Whatever it was did not want to be seen. A few seconds passed, and the crowd slowly began to get antsy. Mr. Sanders frowned, deeply, and casting an evil glare into the shadows of the caravan, whispered roughly, "Come out.". Edward remained in the shadows, fearing what would happen should this crowd see him, and afraid that something awful would be dealt him by his captors, should he step out. The only reply he gave was a quickened

Snip, snip, snip, snip, snip, snip, snip, snip, snip, snip…

When his softer command elicited no real answer, the man raised his voice high above the now babbling crowd, and yelled, "COME OUT, NOW!". Edward only shrank back further into the shadows when the man frightened him, and Mr. Sanders called Mr. Barnum up to assist him in 'coaxing' Edward out. Tobias watched in shock and horror as Mr. Barnum came up from behind the man, punched him hard enough in the back to make him stumble forward and cough, and then kick him on the bottom hard enough to thrust him out, into the light and make him double over onto the floor of the stage.

"Thank ye, Mr. Barnum. That'll do." smirked Sanders as Mr. Barnum returned to his place. "This, ladies an' gents," Mr. Sanders grinned as he kicked Edward once more to make him roll over so that the audience could see his hands better, "Is a prime example a' a freak a' nature…". Tobias could plainly see that the man was crying from the treatment, and it reminded him of how Pirelli used to treat him before he was taken in by Mrs. Lovett. He felt terrible for this poor man, and wished that he could help him. Nellie seemed to be thinking the same thing, as the look on her face changed quickly from amused to shocked and appalled. "No one deserves ta be treated tha' way…" gasped Mrs. Lovett as they watched the man's tears stain the wood of the stage. As for Sweeney, he seemed to be able to care less about the man's predicament, and his gaze was intently focused on the man's deformity.

Against the black leather material on his backside, two hands were bound together by a tightened rope, which were both sporting an increasingly lovely set of blades, one for each finger. As those blades snipped away, they glimmered in the mid-day sun, and all Sweeney could think was that if he could somehow do away with those carnies, he could use this man as an apprentice in his shop. How many gorgeous rubies those hands could spill! But how would he be able to get his hands on them? Without thinking, he raised his voice and interrupted Mr. Sander's riveting yarn about how a man might be born with scissors for hands. "Excuse me, sir!" he beckoned, disrupting the tale so that Mr. Sanders would turn his attention to the barber. "… Yes?" there was a bit of annoyance in Mr. Sanders' voice as everything became silent again.

"I would like ta offer you a free shave, sir…" Sweeney began, again trying, with some modicum of difficulty, to refrain from revealing the razors on his person. He was itching; no, drooling for blood, but he knew that revealing his true intentions would frighten away his victims. "An' ta what, would ah owe this… Pleasure, Mr…?" Mr. Sanders eyed him suspiciously, weary that he might be about to be conned. "Todd.", Sweeney shifted a bit excitedly, "Mr. Sweeney Todd… Of Fleet Street.". "And," he added, "I ask only a single thing in return.". "What are ye doin'? 'Ave ye lost ye'r marbles, love?" Nellie whispered frantically in Todd's ear, "Ah mean, ah would love ta save th' man too, but-". She was interrupted by Mr. Sanders, who answered, "An' what, exac'ly, would tha' be, sah?".

Ignoring Mrs. Lovett, Sweeney allowed a slight smile to form on his lips as he replied, "That you may grace my humble shop with your wonderful countenance, sir.". That seemed to have hit the mark; Mr. Sanders grinned back, bowed in a friendly manner and said, "Why then, ah would greatly enjoy takin' ye up on tha' offer, Mr. Todd. Ah will be seein' ye before tomorro' afternoon!". The pain had subsided, so Edward made an attempt to get back on his feet, but his hands had gotten stuck in the cracks between the boards. He was trying his best to wrench himself free, and when it finally worked, he found he could focus on the conversation he was overhearing between the man in the audience and the sinister man who had captured him. Maybe, when this man left to get his free shave, Edward would be able to sneak away from the caravan… After all, the barber looked like a rather unsavory character as well, and Edward was no longer willing to deal with such terrifying personalities.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Newfound Friends

The show soon came to a close, and Mrs. Lovett turned to confront Mr. Todd, Tobias holding onto her hand, almost for dear life. "Mr. T! Now, what was that all about?!" she shot him a most disapproving look, and with a hand on her hip, added, "What are ye goin' ta do if that poor man comes in wit' 'im?". Mr. Todd was silent for a moment. He drew a hand back out from under his jacket, and placed it lightly on her shoulder. Finally looking her in the eyes with his dark and brooding face, he answered, "It is your choice to distract him, Mrs. Lovett. Remember that.". Tobias shivered on hearing this, but managed to keep himself from saying anything about it just yet.

Sweeney then began to make his way through the bustling crowds ahead of them. Mrs. Lovett sighed audibly, with a look of slight agitation on her face, and began to follow, with Tobias keeping up, albeit a bit unwillingly, just behind her. Tobias had truly wanted someone to save that man, but not Sweeney. Anyone but Sweeney. As a matter of fact, Tobias had spent a good few minutes already, trying to come up with a way in which he could free the man, before Sweeney had invited the carnies to his shop. "'E's gonna kill the man, ah jes' know it, marm!" he half whispered aloud to Mrs. Lovett, looking lost in contemplation and concerned at the same time. Mrs. Lovett slowed down a bit and gave Tobias a reassuring look, "Now, love, why would ye ever suspec' that? Mr. T's always done nothin' but good!". "Ah-Ah don' really know," Tobias shrugged a bit, "Ah kin jes' feel it...". Mrs. Lovett gave his hand a motherly squeeze, smiled, and replied sweetly, "Sometimes, people do 'ave 'unches, love, but they're not always right.". "'Ow abou' this, love?" she continued, "When we get 'ome, 'ow abou' ye an' me sit together nice an' cozy like at me piano in the parlor, an' 'ave us some fun singin' songs an' th' like? Won' that be fun, love?".

Tobias nodded a bit sullenly, and now satisfied, Mrs. Lovett led him to catch up to Sweeney. Edward, of course, remained behind, and had to force himself not to cry more painful tears as the two men corralled him back into the darkened, confined space. "... Please... Let me go..." he pleaded softly, snipping his fingers at a slower, more depressed pace. "Why th' 'ell should we, freak?!" yelled Sanders, pushing him back, "Ye'r be'er off 'ere! Wi' ye'r own freakish kin'!". Barnum laughed darkly from behind Sanders, keeping any visible exits blocked and generally intimidating poor Edward.

He attempted once more to slip his hands through the rope around his wrists as the men cornered him and began to lock him in again. It still refused to budge. He should have known. "What should I do?" he whined inside his own head, "I… Don't want to be here…". He allowed himself to let out a very drawn out sigh, and slumped up against the back wall. Edward sat there quietly, legs crossed, draping his arms over his knees, slowly exercising his fingers back and forth. Time slowly slipped past him in this lonely space, but he eventually slipped into a peaceful slumber, and… He dreamed.

He dreamed of a pair of human hands. Not hands like the ones his father had tried to present to him, because they were blanched… And they were cold like his metal fingers. These hands were firmly grasping his wrists, almost reprimanding, but all Edward could think to care about was that these hands needed just as much help as his own. They were firm, strong, and well enough alive, but he could somehow tell that they were saddened, disturbed, and somewhat insecure. He got the feeling that these hands, though he had scissors for hands himself, were hands he could fix for someone else.

That night, Sweeney had stayed awake into the wee hours of the morning, sitting up in bed, constantly thinking of how he would do away with the next day's visitors. When he finally did sleep, for the twentieth time that month, he had a nightmare. But this nightmare was somehow different. His usual ones held him captive within a twisting, turning, maze in which at the end he could hear Lucy's voice. But every time he had early reached her, another dead end would spring up inevitably, and sometimes the walls of the maze would turn pitch black, ooze over with gallons of blood, and scream almost endlessly into his ears.

But this new nightmare was drastically different. It was filled with total solitude, and he found himself locked away in a pitch black room with no light. A creeping cold suddenly began to work it's way up through each of his fingers, and he could sense pungent feelings of depression, and of lost love. He figured it was simply his subconscious' new way of reminding him of how much he had missed his dear wife Lucy. Sweeney was startled a bit abruptly however, when voices began to leak through the walls, getting louder as the seconds ticked by.

"Oh my… Those are your _hands_? Those are your hands…"

"And this is our daughter, Kim, all dressed up for the senior prom… Isn't she beautiful?"

"I don't know what it is… They reach a certain age, they develop these gland things… Their bodies swell up- pffffff… They go crazy…"

"No! Jim! I don't love you anymore, okay?! Just GO!"

"Get the hell outta here! Get the hell out! Go! Freak!"

"Hold me…"

"I can't…"

"Goodbye…"

"I love you…"

Sweeney had absolutely no idea who these voices were, and he was certain he had never heard them from anyone before. They seemed to be telling a story, but one which he could not fathom why it would be in his own head. All he could be sure of was that whatever story they were telling, it was similar to his own in that it was a tale of happiness and heartbreak. Much like his own, the villain was the one who really won somehow in the end, but the difference seemed to be that the main character here did not turn to murder for the rest of his life. Sweeney had no idea why, there was just a feeling telling him so.

Eventually, Edward awoke to see small slivers of sunlight pouring down through various cracks in the door that the men had locked the day before. He could hear nothing, and as he watched tiny particles of dust quietly float down through the light, he could not help but feel like the day was almost ethereal. Edward awoke having the unexplainable feeling that today was going to change his life for the better. A glad little smile showed up on his pale features, but it faded fast when he once again heard the voices of his captors. "So, Mr. Barnum, ah was wonderin' if'n ye wouldn' like ta join me on mah li'l visit ta the barber taday?" Sanders' rough voice leaked through the locked door.

"Why, ah'd be honored, mah good friend!" replied Mr. Barnum, amusement evident in his voice. Edward could not help but wonder if they would leave him there or if he would have to go with them. He half hoped that they would just leave him behind, but he did not wish to be left behind locked up in this box. As they chatted lazily away about their plans for the day, Edward stood up and approached the door to take a peek at some of the crevices through which the light came. He found that one of them was just wide enough for him to slip a finger blade through and begin to try to pry the door open, but he resolved to wait to try this until the two men were far away.

Mr. Sanders, looking fairly jovial, made his way out of his caravan, with Mr. Barnum following close behind. The two of them picked up their canes as they left, and Mr. Sanders led the way out of the now empty market place. The time was late morning, quite close to lunch time, which meant that all of the restaurants would be open. Perfect timing to go and get a shave, the two of them thought, as they could probably get a bite to eat once they were out.

Edward waited until their voices and footsteps faded away into the distance before he stuck an index finger into the crack and began to wiggle it around. After a few minutes of ceaseless tampering, the door finally began to slowly lean outward, and then with an odd creak and a loud crash, fell to the stage floor in front of Edward's toes. "I'm free!" he thought, excitedly snipping his finger blades, as he looked all around himself at the empty London market place. He took a few careful steps out, into the sun light, and seeing that no one was around to apprehend him again, made his way around the fallen door and down the stage steps. After this, he stopped for a moment, wondering which way he might have to go to make it back to his own home. He did not want to risk being caught and used as a side show ever again. It had made him feel worthless, embarrassed, even. Reminded him of how the people of suburbia had treated him from time to time.

However, being toted through London in that darkened crate had made it to where Edward had no real inkling of the direction he had come from, but he had no intention of waiting for those men to return, so he rushed himself into another darkened alley way. It was wet, his feet making audible splashing noises against the wet brick roads, and foul smells once again reached him. Even so, he decided it would be much better to keep moving in the shadows rather than risk being seen again, so he took whatever odd alley ways he could find.

Sweeney had just washed up for the morning, gotten dressed, and had headed downstairs for breakfast at Mrs. Lovett's Pie Shop. He sat himself down silently at one of Lovett's tables and stayed there, not saying a word, just brooding, as usual. Except, for once, he was distracted from his vengeance. "What did those voices really mean…?" he accidentally whispered, as Mrs. Lovett was setting down a tray of gin, biscuits, and butter. "What was that, love?" Nellie chimed, perplexed by the thought that Mr. Todd was now hearing voices, of all things. She sat herself down, directly across from him, and looked at him quizzically as she set out plates of food for the both of them and poured their drinks.

Sweeney preferred not to discuss the matter with anyone just yet, so his only response was a low, "Nothing, madam. Just a remnant of a dream I 'ad this morning.". As he said this, he took up a newly poured glass of gin and began to raise it to his lips. Nellie only scooted backward a bit in her seat, disappointed that Mr. Todd seemed unwilling to talk, and turned the conversation to something else. "Well, that's nice, dear…" she mused, spreading some butter onto a biscuit with a knife as she spoke, "Ah found li'l Toby sound asleep just this mornin' in the parlor with 'alf another bottle of gin in 'is 'and…". This was only the beginning of breakfast. Since Sweeney did not usually issue forth much banter himself anyway, it was not unusual for Mrs. Lovett to continue talking about little things, and before they knew it, breakfast was finished and Mrs. Lovett had begun clearing away their dishes.

Edward began to feel like staying in the alley ways was getting somewhat stuffy and hard to breath in, so he finally broke down and decided to head for an exit. However, something made him stop half way out. "What was… What was that dream… all about?" his body stiffened slightly. His father had once told him that sometimes, dreams were premonitions of what was to come, but Edward was admittedly a little afraid of what kind of person those hands from the dream might have belonged to. As he leaned against the alley wall and pondered whether or not he should proceed and find this person, he again picked up the voices of his captors, coming closer. Edward had no idea what to do. He was trembling, afraid of being caught again, and was frozen to the spot.

Fortunately for him, they passed right by the alley way he was in and continued on, until they stopped somewhere down the street. "Ah think ah see th' barber shop… Right up there!" exclaimed Mr. Barnum, pointing Mr. Sanders in the right direction. "Jolly! Right then, let us go on up, Mr. Barnum." grinned Mr. Sanders, as he began to approach the steps on the side wall of Mrs. Lovett's Pie Shop. Hearing their voices just outside, Sweeney rose from the table and turned to glance through the window at them, as if to reassure himself that he would finally get to shed some blood again. He glared a little at them as they strolled past, but they seemed not to notice, and continued chatting up the steps to the shop.

"I'll be in the shop for a bit.", he said darkly before going out to let them into his shop. Nellie was busying herself at the pie counter once again, mixing ingredients in a bowl her, rolling dough out there, and scrubbing the surface clean with a rag somewhere in between. An adorable little yawn sounded out from the hallway just behind her, followed by, "Good mornin', marm. There anythin' I can do ta help?". "Good mornin', Toby!", she grinned as she plopped down another wad of dough to be smoothed and rolled out, "Ye can start helpin' me by goin' down ta the bake 'ouse an' openin' th' door. Ah need ta get this tray inta me oven before the crust dries out.". Rubbing his eyes and stifling another yawn, he replied sleepily with a "Yes, marm." and willingly went down the stairs to the bake house to get the door for Mrs. Lovett.

Once the men's voices finally disappeared all together, Edward could feel motion returning to his feet, and he made a dash for the nearest building in which he thought he might be able to hide- the pie shop. He quickly pushed open the side door, which Sweeney had left ajar, with his backside and sat tight at the nearest table, nervously hiding his scissors under the table top. It could not stop the racket they made together, though.

Snip, snip, snip, snip, snip, snip, snip, snip, snip…

Mrs. Lovett had gone already into the bake house to put the new batch of pies into the oven, and was just now making her way back up the steps. Edward could hear the approaching foot steps, and he began to cower again. His shoulders hunched a little and he cringed, fearing the worst. Fearing he might frighten someone again. Meanwhile, Sweeney was upstairs, sweet talking his victims, charming them into a false sense of security. "I see you two gentlemen drew quite an impressive crowd yesterday," he began, "Small wonder you would both be in need of a shave… To make yourselves more… presentable.". He tried to hide a sinister smile as he went over to his vanity and began to pull out creams, brushes and powders for his so-called customers.

"Ye bet, sir. Ye know, we are so glad ta 'ave been invited for a shave." grinned Sanders as he and Barnum removed their own coats and propped their canes up against the wall. Barnum then added, as Sanders clambered up onto the chair, "Yeah, ye can be sure our kinda business always requires us ta be clean-shaven.". "A great motto for business upkeep, if I do say so myself." commented Sweeney as he began to lather shaving cream onto Mr. Sander's chin and neck areas. Then, Sweeney dropped the conversation and began to concentrate solely on striking his new victims. He began to absent-mindedly hum in time with Mr. Sanders as his inner anger slowly boiled.

When Mr. Sanders and Mr. Barnum were both at their most sleep-like points, Sweeney raised his right arm and brought his razor down across Mr. Sanders' neck with such finesse that he could have been putting on a show. Mr. Sanders frantically grabbed for his neck, convulsed and coughed up streams of blood as a crimson shower rained forth from the slit in his neck. Mr. Barnum snapped out of his delusion, yelled almost incoherently at the top of his lungs, and threw himself at Sweeney. Thinking fast, Sweeney positioned his razor just so that when the man fell on him, he would be stabbed in the gut, and Sweeney would be able to double him over onto the floor. Within the next moment, Mr. Barnum lay out on the floor, Sweeney straddling him to hold him in place, and another shower of blood sprayed forth as Sweeney slid the razor across his throat as well.

In the pie shop below, Mrs. Lovett stopped in her tracks when she saw the strange man from the day before sitting in her shop, looking at her with such a terrified expression that it tugged at her heart. Immediately, she went over to him with a tray holding a pie and a cup of gin. "'Ello there, dear!", she grinned warmly, "What brings ye 'ere?". It dawned on Edward that he had seen this woman's face in the crowd the day before, so it would be no surprise to her to find out about his hands. "I… ran away…" he stated shyly, looking with small wonder at the meal she was setting out for him. Just then, there was a loud thud from the second floor, and muffled screaming. Startled, Edward stood right up and stated, "I… I shouldn't be here…" before trying to shuffle towards the door. But he was stopped when Mrs. Lovett gently took hold of one of his wrists, and said, "Now, now, dear. Ye jes' sit down 'ere an' tell auntie Nellie all about yer troubles. Ain't nothin' up there makin' noise except the 'ouse settlin' an' all that.". This pacified Edward's fears for the moment, and she gently led him back to the table to sit and talk.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Those Chilled Hands

"So, dear… Ye ran away?" Nellie raised an eyebrow as she sat herself down, facing Edward, who appeared calmer now, but still awfully nervous. Edward nodded his head gently in response, and could not help taking several glances at the gin. "Well," she smiled, noticing his curiosity, "Go ahead an' tuck in for now, dear. I'll be back in a tick.". As she rose to her feet to check on the pies, Edward gradually made a careful attempt to grab the glass of gin with his hands, to no avail. Mrs. Lovett had to stop and turn around, and when she witnessed Edward trying desperately to pick up his glass, walked back to the table and asked, "Do ye need 'elp wi' that, dear?" with a sweet smile.

Edward nodded one more 'yes', returning the smile, and withdrew his scissors, allowing her room to grab the glass. She raised it a bit, and he was about to part his lips somewhat and let her pour some of the glass into his mouth, but he hesitated, looked up at her with those saddened eyes of his and shyly asked, "… What is it?". Mrs. Lovett went back to holding the glass in her hand steady as she looked at him with a look of surprised amusement. "Ye've never 'ad gin before, 'ave ye, dear?" she grinned, finding it difficult to hide her amusement. Edward looked confused, and as he gave no answer, she added, "Well, it won't 'urt ye, dear. I's good- go a'ead, try it for ye'self!". At this, he figured he might as well, and he allowed her to pour a little bit into his mouth.

Immediately, his eyes opened wide, he pursed his lips, and he dashed for her kitchen sink, where he soon spat all of it out. Mrs. Lovett was a bit offended with this, but her heart told her that this poor soul needed to be shown kindness after she saw how he was being treated the previous day, so instead of reprimanding him and leaving, she chose to go place a consoling hand on his back. "There, there, dear… I's alright." she said softly as she patted him lightly on the back. She waited until the man was finished at the sink before she took him by the wrist again and kindly settled him back down at the table.

"Ah don' suppose ye like ta eat very often, do ye, dear?" she chimed, noticing the blades on his hands and trying to take his mind off of the apparently awful drink. "… No. Not really." Edward replied, a bit sullenly. The drink had reminded him of a night long ago, when someone had told him that the stuff was called 'lemonade' instead of gin. "Marm! Marm, ye've gotta come 'ere!" Tobias yelled out from the bake house. He had opened the door to the oven to check on the pies, and one had caught on fire, but Tobias had no idea how to put it out, so he called for help from his mother instead. "Lor'!" Mrs. Lovett started, fearing that Tobias had found the 'ingredients' for the pies. She shot to her feet, and had Tobias back out of the bake house within a moment's notice. She would take care of the fire herself; but Tobias was no longer allowed inside the bake house.

"Coo!" Tobias gasped with amazement when he laid eyes on Edward sitting at the table, "Ye'r th' man from yesterday… From the market place, right? Ye escaped? 'Ow did ye do it?". He bounced his way over to Edward enthusiastically as he spoke with a huge smile on his face. "I… Ran away…" Edward's eyes brightened up a bit. This child reminded him of young Kevin, the younger brother of the woman he once loved, a little boy who was once his good friend. "Well, o' course, ye ran away! But 'ow did ye get ta doin' it? An' why did ye come 'ere?... To this place, ah mean." Tobias gradually became more quiet towards the end of that sentence and his gaze soon fluttered between his feet and Edward's eyes.

"I… I opened a door," Edward stuttered timidly, "I guessed they would be gone… long enough for me to… escape.". "Ah thought ye'd never be able ta get away from _those_ loonies this quickly, what wif that lock on ye'r door an' such!" Tobias chirped, happy that Edward was finally free. "What's ye'r name, sah?" he beamed over the table up at Edward. "Edward." came the timid answer, followed by some nervous snips. Tobias extended a welcoming hand, saying, "Ah'm Tobias. Pleasure ta meet ye, Edward! The woman in the bake 'ouse is mah marm, Mrs. Lovett. She owns this place… Well, the bottom 'alf of it, anyway.". Edward simply shot a nervous glance from Tobias' hand, back to his face, back to this hand. "Ah, don' worry 'bout that, sah! Ye can jes' give me ye'r wrist an' we'll call it even!" Tobias grinned, noticing Edward's apprehensiveness to shake hands.

Edward tentatively offered up a wrist, but was interrupted when the door beside him flew open, loudly ringing the bell to the shop. "Never the Judge… Why is it never the Judge?..." a dark and frustrated voice soon followed. At this, Tobias became very frightened and seemed to shrink a little in his place, wincing at the sound of that voice. Edward turned to see what sort of creature was making all of this noise and frightening Tobias, and the man whom his gaze fell upon struck him with such a familiarity that he also winced a bit, but with shock more than fear. "That's Mr. Todd. Sweeney Todd. He owns the barber shop above this place." whispered Tobias frantically across the table. "I know." Edward replied concisely, half expecting the man to attack them if he heard.

"My, my, my…" Mrs. Lovett's friendly voice chattered, coming up the steps to the bake house, "There's always somethin' wrong goin' on down there…". Tobias met her half way and came back, half hiding behind Mrs. Lovett's dress, hoping that Mr. Todd would not take out whatever it was on either him or Mrs. Lovett. Mrs. Lovett noticed the disturbed look on Sweeney's face and asked, "What's the matter now, love?", with both hands on her hips. Edward shuddered with anticipation when Sweeney shifted on his feet before answering darkly, "When did the Judge say 'e'd be 'ere?". "Oh, don' worry about tha' bloody ol' Judge, love! Jes' ye wait- he'll come soon enough." she sighed as she returned to her duties in the kitchen.

"… Judge?" Edward quietly inquired, wondering who this person was and what they had done to make this man so angry. Sweeney slowly turned, and his eyes lit up somewhat when they rested their gaze on Edward's blades. "Well…" he started towards Edward, his voice sounding lighter, "Hello there, sir. I expect you escaped from those two con men from yesterday?". Tobias made a face as he helped Mrs. Lovett by washing some bowls in the sink. Nothing worse than seeing a man quickly flip from being blood thirsty to warm and friendly; especially if that man happened to be Sweeney. He also knew his new friend was in danger again, but this time, a danger much worse than anything those two men could have conjured up. "Yes…" Edward felt like he was sinking lower and lower into the plush cushions that Nellie had chosen for her shop.

Sweeney's false optimistic gaze was awfully intimidating, and even highly intense. His gaze seemed like it was trying to scorch Edward's pale, white skin. For a moment, Edward had to wonder if it really was. Someone else's stare used to cause him to experience similar feelings, but right now, that was the least of his worries. Grinning slightly, Sweeney added, "You should watch yourself, now. They're probably searching for you. Do you 'ave anywhere you could 'ide out?". "No…" Edward shivered, fearing the worst. However, he was somewhat relieved to hear Sweeney reply with, "Ah think Mrs. Lovett might 'ave a room down 'ere you could use…". He shot a brief glare at Mrs. Lovett, who was rolling out another slab of dough. "As a matter a' fact, Ah believe ye could stay for a while in the back parlor if ye like, dear." answered Mrs. Lovett, always eager to care for someone.

Edward smiled demurely, happy to have a place to be able to hide until those men were out of town. Little did he know, those men were still in town… only, they were in the meat grinder in the bake house. "So," Sweeney began again, "What is your name, sir?", the wicked smile still resting on his lips. "Edward." he replied, still withdrawn into his own shell. Sweeney could plainly see that this one would need some coaxing before being used. He would have to weasel his way into a false trust with this one first. "Edward… Handsome name. I am Sweeney Todd… Of Fleet Street, as you may 'ave already guessed." he offered up one of his hands over the table. Taking this as a sign of welcoming on contact for the first time, Edward timidly extended a hand of snipping, sparkling silver blades. Sweeney seemed to take Edward's wrist gladly, and made as if he were going to shake it before pausing to remark, "You 'ave lovely blades, Edward. I could use someone like you as an apprentice in my shop. What would you say if I was to offer you the position?". He took his hand back carefully and returned to burning through Edward with his sinister look.

Edward timidly withdrew his own hand, suddenly remembering the same cold hands from his dream, and was silent for a moment, his own gaze refusing to meet Sweeney's. Were those hands possibly the hands of this man before him? They had felt cold and lonesome to the touch on his wrists just now. "Thank you…" he tried to start weakly, "I would feel guilty… If I couldn't repay you… For your help.". Sweeney's grin widened as he replied, "Well then, Edward… You're to start 'elpin' me tomorrow morning, upstairs in my shop. 'Ow does that sound?". Edward finally seemed to have lost his ability to speak for the moment, and could only manage a small, innocent smile and a happy little nod in return.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Similarities

That night, the streets and the barbershop above the pie shop were deathly quiet, aside

from the far-off, cheerful banter of Mrs. Lovett and Tobias in the back parlor. Edward still sat

there at the little corner table, all by himself, wondering what this ugly feeling he had in the pit

of his stomach was all about. _What is wrong with me now?_ the words floated around in his

head. This feeling was something close to the feeling he had felt during his first community

barbeque. Terrible. Awful, really. Frightening, like a nightmare- except whatever this nightmare

was, it was real. He wondered if maybe it was just a false pretense- a hunch that would never

come true. _Maybe I should go look in on that Mr. Todd fellow._ Edward stood up, quietly

snipping his fingers, and headed for the door.

_Snip snip snip snip snip snip_

The metallic noise seemed to leak through the door in the darkened room. Sweeney

proceeded to ignore it as the blades began to scratch frantically at the doorknob. He turned his

sullen face down to gaze upon a small portrait he held lovingly in his hands. A beautiful blonde

young woman sat there, smiling up at him from beyond the glass, holding an adorable baby girl.

"Joanna…" he whispered despondently, running a single finger down the glass of the frame.

_Snip snip snip snip snip snip snip snip snip snip snip snip snip!_

"Alright! Stop! … I'm coming." he growled, startling Edward at the door. _Maybe the _

_feeling was right. Maybe I should get away from here._ Edward's breath quickened, and he

began to shake. As the doorknob turned, his brain told him he should run, but he found he was

frozen to the spot. "Yes, Edward? What is it?" Sweeney glared at him from the darkness after

pulling the door open. Edward nearly whimpered. "Speak up." came the familiar grumble. "I-It's

n-nothing…" Edward half-sighed, letting his own gaze drop to his feet. Sweeney stepped out

into the moonlight, smiled one of those devilish smiles, and placed a hand on Edward's

shoulder. "My boy, you look extremely frightened. Pray, did you go to sleep an' 'ave a

nightmare?" he twisted his grin as he spoke.

Edward became rigid at the touch, and not because Sweeney's hands were cold. He had

just begun to relax, but this had frozen him once again. Maybe it was the sensation of having

hands touch him after so long without ever even seeing hands. Maybe it was a sense of

somehow no longer feeling all alone. _It could be both, and it could be neither._ he thought,

unable to react immediately to Sweeney's touch. "Edward?" Sweeney's rough tone shook

Edward from his shock. "Y-yes?" Edward peered timidly into the sunken and darkened eyes of

the barber. The barber's eyes peered back with an even deeper intensity. "Did you 'ave a

nightmare or not?" he repeated, gruffly, as if he were holding back a will to punch Edward.

Edward shuffled a bit, snipped his blades slowly.

"I… I think I did."

"You _think_ you did?"

"Mhm…"

_Snip snip snip snip snip…_

"Edward, no one _thinks_ they 'ave 'ad a nightmare, they _know_." Sweeney appeared rough and

reprimanding, almost like an abusive parent. It was making Edward withdraw even further into

himself. Edward partially whimpered, "I… I did.". Sweeney drew back, furrowed his brow a bit,

leaned against the doorway, folded his arms. "Well, it won't do to stay out 'ere in the night

talking abou' it," he commented, "Would you like to come in and talk?". Sweeney could mold

himself into just about any role. Right now, he would do his best to play the role of good friend

and neighbor. Edward willingly followed him into the shop and seated himself in the large

barber chair, colored all over with the pale moonlight that was filtering through the gigantic

window in the roof. As Sweeney took his place leaning against the vanity, Edward glanced

around.

He saw a mirror image of his own little world. Cold, dark, lit only by the moon, barren

floors, walls covered in unique photos and things, and one large moonlit window through which

anyone could peer out over the other world of the sprawling suburbia. He was pleasantly

surprised at just how much he and this man were alike. The realities though were that this man

had his photos all framed and either hung, or laid out on a table top, and his window did not

overlook a warm, colorful suburbia. Instead, it overlooked a cold and cheerless industrial world.

But for the most part, things were highly similar, and he could appreciate it. Maybe this was

why Sweeney could sound so scary and cruel. Maybe he was actually very nice inside. Maybe.

"Well?" Sweeney finally spoke up. He had noticed Edward's general reaction to the room and

decided to give him a moment to collect himself.

"There were… There were hands." Edward began nervously. _Of course you dreamed of _

_hands_ thought Sweeney to himself, looking a bit longingly at the way Edward's blades were

glinting in the pale moonlight. Edward stopped to take a look at Sweeney's reaction. As was to

be expected, he only stood there, broodingly. "Go on." he broke the silence, still entranced by

Edward's fingers. "The hands… They were cold… and pale." Edward whispered, almost

biting his lower lip. "Well, that certainly does seem likely to point to some foul end…" Sweeney

smirked in the darkness, "But surely not yours, my boy.". His grin seemed to grow ever wider

the closer he came towards Edward. When he finally came into the moonlight, he very nearly

looked like the Cheshire Cat. Attempting to put away his menacing sneer before Edward could

catch a glimpse of it, Sweeney's features slowly moved into another stone cold position.

Meanwhile, Edward continued to stare hopelessly down at his own blades. Placing a hand on

the barber's chair, Sweeney said, "Well, Edward, it was only a nightmare, and nothing more.

You've got nothing to worry about, as I am sure you will be safe here with us." On that last

word, Edward felt a sensation shoot down his spine which caused the hairs on the back of his

neck to stand at attention.

The 's' sound had seemed extremely villainous somehow. Like a snake preparing to

strike. "I… I think that… That the nightmare is very real…" Edward's voice shook. "Is it? From

where did you get such a strange idea?" Sweeney faked some shock in his voice. Edward took

no notice of whether or not the shock was fake. "I have no idea. Not really." came the soft

reply. "Well, I know a man who is most certainly cold to the touch." Sweeney began to muse,

"Maybe you would like to meet him?" Of course, Sweeney was thinking again of Judge Turpin.

Edward shifted uneasily. He was sure that those hands had belonged to Sweeney. But he could

tell how badly Sweeney wanted him to meet this man, so Edward silently and slowly gave a nod

in agreement, just after Sweeney positioned himself before Edward.

"Good." Sweeney grinned, then turned his attention to the night sky beyond the

window. "It's getting late. I'm sure Mrs. Lovett will 'ave the bed made up for you once more by

now. I think you 'ad best be running along to bed now, Edward. We've got a busy day

tomorrow." Sweeney said coldly as he took Edward by the wrist and waist, helping him out of

the chair and showing him to the door as if Edward were instead a young woman.

Edward found himself whisked out into the cold night air, with the door shut behind

him. He had wanted to say a proper goodnight to Mr. Todd, but time had not quite allowed it.

He figured Mr. Todd would like nothing more now than to be left to his own devices, so

Edward made his way back down the stairs, and into the pie shop. "Lor'! Where've ye been?!

Ah've been lookin' all over for ye!" Mrs. Lovett gasped from behind the counter. "I… I had a

nightmare." Edward replied meekly. "Well, ah don' suppose ye thought catchin' a death o' col'

would be the answer!" she gasped again, displaying her concern as she rounded the counter

and took Edward by the arm to lead him into the back parlor. "Now, love, let's get ye all nice an'

cozy like by the fire here, next ta Toby." she cooed as she lovingly prepared a pillow and blanket

next to the small, sleeping form of Tobias, who was clutching a large bottle of gin in one hand.

_Mrs. Lovett, you're such a kind lady._ Edward began to grin at this thought. He had not seen

kindness like this since Peg had taken him in. It was not long until Mrs. Lovett had both Edward

and Tobias wrapped up in cozy blankets by the fire. But before she left, she turned to Edward

and said, "Now ye ge' a good night's rest, an' your auntie Nellie will hear all about your

nightmare in the mornin'." Then, all the lights were out except for the fire, and Edward was

soon in deep sleep.


End file.
